Hi - this is like learning a new language! Excuse my accent and pronunciation!

I've searched the site and read lots and my eyes are now crossed - if anybody could help with the following questions I'd really appreciate it.

Just starting to plan following trip for Jan - Mar 2007

Toronto to Hong Kong
Hong Kong to Bangkok
Bangkok to Siem Reap
Siem Reap to Bangkok
Bangkok to somewhere in OZ (SYD, MEL, etc)
SYD or MEL to Tasmania and back to starting point (or other point?)
OZ to NZ
NZ to Toronto
(might flip the NZ/OZ part - trying to chase cooler weather in OZ)

I *think* the Circle Asia fare is appropriate for this itinerary (with some adjustments possibly) - is that right?

Could anybody ballpark what the cost per person (US/CAD or any other currency and I'll convert) would be for J class?

If this is a correct use of the Circle Asia fare - how does it compare to companies like airbrokers.com Circle Asia offers? I've read that with airbrokers (and similar) you own the ticket and have no guarantees if the flight is canceled for any reason.

And another question - I might have enough points to get the two of us on an open jaw YYZ - HKG and then NZ - YYZ; are intra Asia airfares reasonable? Would we then just pick up local flights or perhaps look at the Asia Airpass?

Thanks for any help - this is a great site!

Elizabeth, Hi. Welcome aboard!

You will need the "Circle Pacific" option, rather than the Circle Asia - Circle Asia is a fare that involves travel via Sth West Pacific, Far East and Asia only, whereas the Circle Pacific includes those areas plus North America. Having said that, Toronto is not a valid city for the Circle Pacific and you would need to start and end the trip in any of Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle or Honolulu.

Options ? Hmmmm. Well here's mine - am sure there will be others from other posters.

1) - Buy a cheapie to/from YVR/SFO/LAX etc to link with the Circle Pacific. The Circle Pacific will set you back CAD6469.00 or USD4725.00 in Business Class - although you may find better deals through consolidators like TourEast etc.
You would also need to buy seperate tickets to/from Siem Reap as the only Star carrier serving there is Asiana from Seoul. (A bucket load of cheap options using carriers like Tiger Airways, AirAsia, JetstarAsia etc - mainly from Singapore though). You would also need to buy cheap seperate tickets to get to/from Tasmania. The rest of the itinerary would fit though.
Pending mileage burned up, you could always go a Hong Kong transit Seoul to Siem Reap, buy a cheap one way to Singapore, rejoin your Circle Pacific trip up to Bangkok (from Singapore) and continue on as before.

2) - Get your own discounted business fare from Toronto to Hong Kong and return, then use the Circle Asia pass from there. Again, you will need to do "your own thing" to/from Siem Reap and Tasmania and return from New Zealand to Hong Kong.
Given the combined cost of the two fares (yours and then the Circle) this option is probably not preferred. Unless you use your points (I'm presuming Aeroplan?) as alluded to in your post for YYZ-HKG-YYZ.

3) - Get a RTW fare and go east from Toronto first, through Europe to Hong Kong and then follow the rest of the itinerary.
Business Class fares for the Star1 (29K miles max) from Canada are CAD9599.00 published, but a consolidator may have better.

Someone else will have an idea that I haven't thought of no doubt - stay tuned !!

Cheers/Regards.

Thank you for your very helpful response - I have a couple more questions (well, that's a lie - I have a lot more questions but will try to control myself!)

Right - I keep flipping those two fare names in my head for some reason.

The difference between the USD and CAD pricing is substantially more than the current exchange rate - is one price the cost of leaving from the US versus the cost of leaving from Canada? Otherwise I'll pay in US dollars!

Do you know the pricing for the Circle Asia pass (roughly?) I'm getting quotes from airbrokers.com on discounted business so I can compare.

I've got a bit of a points problem - We have enough Delta points for 2 economy tickets but the routing is awful....YYZ - ATL - ICN - HKG....over 32 hours, and I can't imagine doing it in economy.

On Aeroplan we only have enough points for one economy or business seat - AC has a non stop YYZ to HKG flight which might make economy bearable (no J class available right now for our dates) and we could purchase another economy ticket (YYZ - HKG; SYD - YYZ) for about $3000 Canadian.

If I can find a better Delta routing and we could get J class on both AC and Delta we would consider flying separately if the departure/arrival times were similar.

I've looked at the full RTW and would love to so we could stop in India but the cost is too high - rats!

It's making unnaturally happy talking in airport code!

Thanks again for your help!

Liz in Toronto

I've just been checking out these fares for an upcoming trip, and although AC/SQ quote the C$6469, for some reason NZ quotes only C$5,500 for Business Class and C$7190 for F. In thinking about it, maybe this is an exchange rate issue, so you may want to go with paying in US$$

Well....I have accomplished nothing on the work front today but a lot on the air travel side! (self employed so I only have myself to blame!)

Couple of random questions:

1) We've always been interested in Norfolk Island - and I see NZ flies there twice a week - is NLK permitted on the Asia Pacific pass - can't find a list of exclusions?

2) What are the other costs on top of the fare - whose taxes, surcharges, etc and what about airport improvement fees - just trying to get a sense of what the costs really are - $4725USD is very exciting but if there's another $1000USD on top I need to factor that in.

Thanks!

Elizabeth, Hi.

NLK is permitted on the fares, as it is a Territory of Australia in a broad sense - you just need to watch your AKL transfers at each end and make sure they fit the fare rules.

It's hard to tell what the taxes will be as it will depend on your routing, carriers and stopover points. Budget for CAD600.00 to be on the safe side.

Circle Asia Fares from HKG would be a published level for the CCASTAR1 of HKD33410 (or CAD4854.00). Hardly worth it when compared to the Circle Pac from YVR or SFO/LAX - even with your YYZ to start/end point add-on fares!

As per all airfares, the country of origin determines the currency used, so the Circle Pac fares quoted earlier would be CAD if you start the trip in YVR and USD if you start in LAX/SFO.

Cheers.

NZ offer their own Circle Pacific fare at CAD5500.00, but they also offer the Star Circle Pac at CAD6469.00 - be very careful if thinking the CAD5500.00 offer is for the Star circle pac as the CAD5500.00 one they offer is in combination with JAL and NZ flights only.

They may well be offering the Star Circle Pac at that level, or have another one in combination with other Star carriers at that lower level, I don't know but it seems to me to be too much of a co-incidence that they're offering the same level fare for two different fares if they are.

Cheers.